Attitudes of clinical medical students toward professional ethical standards at Birjand University of Medical Sciences

Shafiei Moghaddam , Hamed; Bagherian, Samaneh; Allahyari, Elaheh; Jahani, Najmeh

Volume 13, Issue 2 (6-2025) jmsthums 2025, 13(2): 68-79 | Back to browse issues page

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Shafiei Moghaddam H, Bagherian S, Allahyari E, Jahani N. Attitudes of clinical medical students toward professional ethical standards at Birjand University of Medical Sciences. jmsthums 2025; 13 (2) :68-79
URL: http://jms.thums.ac.ir/article-1-1408-en.html

Attitudes of clinical medical students toward professional ethical standards at Birjand University of Medical Sciences

Hamed Shafiei Moghaddam¹

, Samaneh Bagherian²

, Elaheh Allahyari³

, Najmeh Jahani⁴

1- Student Research Committee, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
2- Department of Operating Room, School of Paramedical, Geriatric Health Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
3- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Health, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
4- Department of Gynecology, School of Medicine, Valiasr Hospital, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran

Abstract: (7 Views)

Background & Aim: Professional ethics is a set of principles and standards of human behavior that shape personal conduct and improve care provided by healthcare personnel. This study aimed to determine the level of ethical attitudes among clinical medical students regarding professional ethical principles at Birjand University of Medical Sciences.
Methods: This descriptive-analytic study was conducted on 100 medical students at Birjand University of Medical Sciences in 2022. Participants were selected using a stratified sampling method. Data were collected using a personal information questionnaire and a questionnaire assessing students’ attitudes toward professional ethical principles. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26 with descriptive and analytic statistics at a significance level of 0.05.
Results: The students’ overall attitude towards professional ethics was positive (26.83 ± 7.83). The highest mean score was related to the dimension of justice (5 ± 2.08), while the lowest mean score was related to the dimension of confidentiality (3.82 ± 1.31). Students had a positive attitude towards principles such as patient autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice, and honesty, while their attitude towards confidentiality was moderate. There was a significant difference in students’ attitudes towards professional ethical standards by age, academic term, and type of residence (p < 0.05), but no significant differences by gender or GPA (p > 0.05).
Conclusion: The study showed that clinical medical students at Birjand University of Medical Sciences generally have positive attitudes toward most aspects of professional ethics. However, the moderate attitude toward confidentiality highlights a potential area for improvement in ethics education among medical students.

Keywords: Medical ethics, Student attitudes, Medical education, Professional ethical Principles, Medical students

Full-Text [PDF 283 kb] (9 Downloads)

Type of Study: Research | Subject: Special
Received: 2024/11/17 | Accepted: 2025/04/21 | Published: 2025/11/16

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